DARLINGTON — A Town of Seymour man was taken into custody following a Lafayette County Sheriff’s Office investigation into an animal neglect case.
At approximately 7:30 p.m., on Oct. 17, Jeslias Z. Murillo-Lopez, 37, was taken into custody at the Lafayette County Sheriff’s Office.
The investigation started the day prior, when deputies were dispatched to 20462 Wardsville Road in the Town of Seymour, Lafayette County, for a Check Welfare case. During the investigation, deputies learned of an animal neglect situation at that residence involving numerous dogs. A deputy trained in the humane treatment of animals responded to the scene to assist the deputies already on scene.
The following morning, several Lafayette County Sheriff’s Office deputies, along with administration, responded to the residence accompanied by a staff member of the Green County Humane Society (GCHS). Contact with the residents there was attempted, but no one appeared to be home.
Later that day, at approximately 1:15 p.m., Lafayette County Deputies, assisted by staff of the Green County Humane Society returned to the residence and seized 18 living dogs and one deceased dog varying in ages from very small puppies to adult dogs. All the dogs appeared to be a breed of German Shepherd.
Early Friday morning, GCHS Executive Director, Erin Emery, met with deputies to assess the scene and coordinate the safe removal of the dogs.
“We didn’t know exactly what we were walking into,” Emery said. “But we knew we had to be ready to act quickly and compassionately.”
The dogs at the property were in various states of severe neglect. By the end of the day, every animal on the property — including six adult German Shepherds, a litter of six 2- to 3-month-old puppies, another litter of five 2-week-old puppies, and even a lone kitten found wandering nearby — was safely transported to the Green County Humane Society.
All of the rescued animals are now under the care of the GCHS team. All animals rescued were severely underweight but are receiving small, frequent meals and nutritional support to help them recover safely.
“This was truly an all-hands-on-deck effort,” Emery said. “Our staff, board members, and volunteers worked side by side, doing everything from humanely containing frightened dogs to ensuring every animal made it back safely. I’m incredibly grateful for our team’s efforts that literally saved lives that day. We lived out our mission and saved every one.”
Murillo-Lopez, the owner of the dogs, was booked into the Lafayette County Jail. He faces numerous charges connected with the mistreatment of animals as well as bail jumping charges. Murillo-Lopez has open cases in the court system from late September than include felony second degree sexual assault/use of force, strangulation and suffocation, child abuse-intentionally cause harm, and misdemeanor battery and disorderly conduct charges.
This remains an ongoing investigation at this time and may result in charges for other persons connected to the residence.
The Lafayette County Sheriff’s Department is pursuing charges related to the neglect case. GCHS is collaborating closely with law enforcement to document each animal’s condition and provide medical and behavioral assessments as part of the ongoing investigation.
For now, GCHS’s focus remains on care and recovery. The animals are being monitored in isolation areas of the shelter, receiving wellness exams, vaccinations, and ongoing behavioral evaluations.
While the dogs are not yet available for adoption, the Humane Society anticipates that medical and behavioral rehabilitation will continue over the coming weeks and months. Those who are wishing to help can support this effort through donations of supplies or funds to the GCHS Emergency Medical Fund, which assists animals in crisis situations like this one.
To donate or learn more about the Green County Humane Society’s work, visit: https://greencountyhumane.org/donate/.
